Young Artists Show at Ridge Art Gallery Features Work of Polk Students

Saturday

Feb 23, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 24, 2013 at 3:12 AM

Art from high school and middle school students, both public and private, will be on exhibition during the 2013 Young Artists Show at The Ridge Art Gallery in Winter Haven, which runs through March. 17.

By DONNA KELLYLEDGER MEDIA GROUP

WINTER HAVEN — It's all in the eyes.Soulful, intriguing and framed by jet black brows and hair, they tell the story of the young Mexican immigrant who painted her."Silent Vision," a mixed media self-portrait, is the emotion-evoking cornerstone of Lake Region High School senior Mariela Garcia's diverse, award-winning portfolio.Garcia's work is currently on display in the Young Artists Show at Ridge Art Gallery, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd.The exhibit also is open 30 minutes before each Theatre Winter Haven show and during intermission.The exhibit features the works of middle school and high school students in the county. The exhibit offers diversity in media and style ranging from "They're Biting," a rustic found object assemblage by Carlos Embry of Jewett School of the Arts, and the whimsical ceramic "Ying Yang Panda" by Austin Yawney of Winter Haven High School to an untitled oil painting of an Italianesque canal by Julia Preziosi of All Saints' Academy.The annual showcase of student art is always a favorite for Christy Hemenway, executive director of Ridge Art Association, because it illustrates the importance of keeping arts programming in schools."It's important people understand the impact creativity has on students," Hemenway said. "Their brains are working not just in a way somebody has told them to think."Hemenway said art — from exploring the use of color to the dexterity of holding a pencil — is a process in developing creativity"It's teaching the brain as well as the eye to see the world differently," Hemenway said. "Artists just look at things differently."Garcia said her view of the world is shaped by her experiences as an immigrant who was thrust at age 6 into a new world where people spoke a different language."Eventually I learned the language and it became easier for me to adapt when I made friends," she wrote in her artist statement. "Now after years of school it's my senior year and I am ready to graduate and pursue a career into something that I enjoy, art."As the winner of the Portfolio Award, Garcia will receive a $1,000 scholarship to study art at Polk State College. Garcia's art teacher, Paula Ferrell, isn't surprised she received the award. She describes her student as open to new ideas and materials."She also is always trying to grow as an artist, so she welcomes constructive criticism and learns from it," Ferrell said. "She has a true passion for art, and works on it any free time she has during the day."An artist who enjoys working in great detail and using shading in her pieces, Garcia's view of art is broad and she finds artistry in everyday life — from the graffiti that is seen at the corner store to the paintings hung in the galleries at the Polk Museum of Art.The public display of art is enjoyable to patrons who view it while instilling confidence in those who create it, said Ferrell, who has been teaching for 32 years."I believe students gain confidence from competitions like Ridge Art because they worked hard to get their work hung there. I also think they learn from seeing other student's artwork, other than just their classmates day to day," she said.The competition offers students an opportunity to gain new ideas and be challenged by other young artists."Healthy competition often motivates students to work harder and to set goals," Ferrell said.And the result is an exhibit many might find surprising."People should come see this show because this area is filled with very talented young people and we would like to showcase all of this to the public," Ferrell said.